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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is your application deadline?
The deadline date for applications is January 15 for Fall Quarter admissions. The HCOM program accepts students on a rolling basis, but students who submit complete applications by January 15 receive priority consideration for financial aid awards. Allow sufficient time for processing and review by the faculty prior to your desired entry quarter.
- What do program alumni do after they graduate?
Many of our graduates go on to teach in secondary learning institutions. Because we offer a methods-heavy curriculum, students graduate with a solid qualitative/quantitative foundation which can serve them well in many fields -- education, medical, business, etc.
Some of our alumni are employed as counselors, police officers, and community activists.
- Do you offer a dual degree program?
Graduate Students at DU are also encouraged to explore diverse interests by combining any two graduate programs into a "flexible dual degree" program. This allows students to structure creative curriculum programs in the pursuit of specialized career objectives. Dual degree programs allow a limited number of credits from each degree to count towards the other degree.
Students may propose any dual degree program that seems reasonable to them and their advisors for academic and career objectives, so long as the program results in two master's degrees or a master's degree and a JD degree. The student's program proposal will also preserve the core courses in each program (so course reductions are only allowed in elective courses, and no program will ever allow more than a 15 credit-hour reduction in each program). In the past, Human Communication graduate students have completed dual degrees in: MA in Human Communication / Masters in Social Work.
- Does the department offer teaching assistantships?
The department has approximately 15 assistantships to award each year (for all returning and incoming graduate students). These are highly competitive, merit-based positions. GTIs (Graduate Teaching Instructors) normally teach four courses over the course of three quarters, to be assigned by the Director of Graduate Teaching Instructors (Dr. Christina Foust, cfoust@du.edu) by summer of the forthcoming academic year. Compensation includes a full-time tuition waiver and a nine-month living stipend.
- How does the quarter system differ from a semester system?
All University of Denver students, except for College of Law students, are on a quarter system for the school year. The quarter system breaks the school year down into four terms, but students generally attend fall, winter, and spring term. Quarters run for ten week sessions. Credits transferred from a semester-system institution are calculated at a 1.5 equivalency. For example, a student with 30 semester credits from a Masters degree would transfer in 45 quarter hours to a PhD program. Students within the HCOM program are normally taking two five-credit courses per quarter, for a total of 30 quarter hours per year.
- When do I need to start looking for an advisor?
Upon entering the program, all students are assigned temporary advisors who serve primarily as curriculum advisors during their first year. We ask students to choose a permanent advisor during their second year of course work: This advisor will direct the student through comprehensive examinations and/or the thesis/dissertation project (which includes advising the student in preparing questions, reading lists, committee-formation, topic choice, writing, etc.). Typically, graduate students choose permanent advisors with whom they have taken courses, and whose expertise relates to their own areas of interest.
- How long does it take to finish the program?
A candidate for the Master's degree is expected to complete the requirements for the degree within five years from the time he or she begins his or her program of study, as measured from initial enrollment in work credited toward the degree. Most full-time Masters students complete the program in two to three years.
A student who holds a master's degree upon entering the doctoral program is expected to complete all requirements for the degree no later than seven years after beginning the program. Most full-time PhD students entering with an MA complete the program in four years. For the candidate who holds a bachelor's degree upon entering the program, all requirements for the degree should be met no later than eight years after doctoral studies commence. Most full-time PhD students entering with a bachelors degree complete the program in seven years.
- What is the average class size?
Graduate seminars typically range from 4-10, and required courses (such as the four-course methods sequence) typically range from 8-16.
- May I contact other graduate students who are current students?
Absolutely. Please contact the Assistant to the Graduate Director, Robin Filipczak, to arrange a conversation. Email: rfilipc2@du.edu; phone: 303-871-4313. We also encourage potential applicants to visit faculty and graduate students at the Graduate School Open House at the National Communication Association and Western States Communication Association conventions.
- How does the comprehensive examination process work?
For Masters students: Comprehensive examinations may be taken throughout the year with the exception of summer quarter. Exams taken during breaks will be reviewed the next quarter following completion of the examination. Comprehensive exam questions are developed by a minimum of three faculty members from whom the student has taken classes. The committee is selected in consultation with the advisor. The overall exam consists of three questions, one of which must address methodology. The time period for answering the questions as well as the question format is to be determined by the faculty committee. The format, faculty readers, and schedule must be specified and approved by the advisor and Director of Graduate Studies.
For Ph.D. students: The examination preparation and administration is under the supervision of an examination committee chosen by the student in conjunction with his/her advisor. The committee consists of a minimum of 2 tenure-track faculty in the HCOM Department. The advisor serves as the examining committee chair, who in consultation with the student, convenes the committee to prepare the examination and offers the student guidance in preparation for the meeting.
The examination consists of two mandatory parts:
Part one (1) involves three questions generated by the examining committee designed to test the student's understanding of concepts, theories, and methodologies relevant to his/her program of study. One of the questions must pertain to methods. These questions are answered in a three 3-day answer period for each question.
Part two (2) requires the student to answer one question selected by the examining committee from three to five questions generated by the student for consideration. These questions are created in cooperation with the student's advisor prior to the initial comprehensive examination meeting. The selected question should have the potential of becoming an original scholarly essay that contributes to the body of knowledge in the discipline and is a way of establishing a scholarly identity. With advisor approval, it is acceptable to approach this question by writing a dissertation proposal. This question is taken over a two-week period usually starting one to two days after the last of the three-day questions.
Part three (3) is optional. In cases in which the written answers require clarification, the examining committee may conduct an oral examination following the written portion. Since the oral examination is optional, the content to be covered will be determined by the examination committee.
- Does the HCOM department offer academic workshops for students? If, so when and on what topics?
Our faculty are committed to bringing leading scholars to the campus for lectures and informal conversations with faculty and graduate students. Over the last year, we have organized campus visits with Drs. Kent Ono, Sally Planalp, George Cheney, and Tom Nakayama. In addition, the faculty present professional development sessions concerning teaching and job application preparation, often in conversation with GSAC (see above)
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